Calls made from a mobile phone on an aircraft do not resolve to the user's personal telephone number and features like caller ID (which identifies the caller's phone number) will not work to display the user's own name or number. Similarly, calls to the user's mobile phone cannot be made by dialing the user's own number, and instead can only be made by dialing some alternative number specific to aircraft or satellite equipment (if the call can even be completed at all). SMS (short message service) text functionality is similarly limited or impaired, such that text messages do not clearly come from the user, nor can they be sent to the user's GSM (global system for mobile communications) number.
Additionally, the use of GSM Picocells or Femtocells onboard aircraft, while solving the above problems somewhat, are prohibited by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) in United States airspace, and other regulatory bodies prohibit them in several other countries. The installation of these Picocell/Femtocells also require the airplane cabin be removed to install shielding, RF (radio frequency) lines and other modifications which greatly increase the installation cost and complexity.
Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art.
With the subject invention, these problems are solved, and the user experience with an individual mobile device while in flight parallels the experience on the ground, making communications simpler, more user-friendly and more intuitive for all parties.